ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · race · straw · press · bulb · coach · wind · key

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — to push
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com